3 days after inking less than ₹300 cr deal, US and India announce Javelin missile co-production here

The agreement will be beneficial for the India and US partnership through creating, building and developing a strong defence workforce in India

Three days after India and US announced a deal to acquire about 100 Javelin missile systems worth less than ₹300 crore, Tata Advanced Systems Ltdi (TASL) and the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV) have entered into an MoU for the co-production of shoulder-fired anti-tank guided missile.The TASL and the JJV will explore a location to establish a final assembly and integration facility for the Javelin All Up Round (AUR) and component production capabilities in India, a statement issued by production partners on Monday stated, making it clear that the MoU upfront does not specify technology transfer for co-production here. The sub-assembly kits and guidance electronics units (GEUs) will be shipped to India for final assembly and integration, the agreement flags.TASL has been selected by JJV— a partnership between Raytheon, an RTX business, and Lockheed Martin— as the prime partner for future in-country co-production efforts following an evaluation of multiple companies based on capability and expertise, the statement said.Production partnerEarlier in its effort to scout for a production partner in India, the JJV had also reached out to state-owned Bharat Dynamics Ltdi (BDL), which interestingly has also been shortlisted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation as the production partner for its own developed similar class Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM), but it finally settled for the leading private defence company, sources privy to developments observed.Rich Liccion, Vice President, JJV and Programme Director, Lockheed Martin, described the partnership with TASL as a pivotal step in ensuring a resilient, supply chain for this critical anti-tank weapon system.“This collaboration not only expands India’s high‑tech manufacturing capabilities but also reinforces a stronger, more stable security architecture across the Indo‑Pacific region, enabling our partners around the world to respond swiftly to emerging threats,” he emphasised.Strong defenceThis agreement will support future production of the Javelin system while providing unique opportunities for Indian industry and strengthen regional stability for the Indo-Pacific, the statement read, adding that it will be beneficial for the India and US partnership through creating, building and developing a strong defence workforce in India, believes the companies.Welcoming the MoU, Sukaran Singh, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, said, “This initiative brings critical assembly expertise and knowledge transfer into India’s defence industrial ecosystem, while strengthening self-reliance. Local assembly of the Javelin All Up Round will enhance operational readiness and ensure timely access to proven, combat-ready capability for the Indian Armed Forces.”It will also sustain American jobs in the domestic supply chain through multiyear production of sub-assembly kits at Lockheed Martin’s Troy, Alabama, facility and guidance electronics units (GEU) at Raytheon’s Tucson, Arizona, facility.The establishment of in-country co-production will strengthen India’s defence industrial base by bringing final assembly and integration of the Javelin AUR to Indian facilities and suppliers, creating high‑tech jobs, advancing local manufacturing expertise and supporting global supply chain resiliency due to increased worldwide demand.This agreement, the statement noted, will also enhance regional security in the Indo‑Pacific by ensuring a reliable, locally sourced supply of the proven Javelin weapon system, supporting faster fielding and sustained readiness for partner nations in the region.They noted that higher co-production volumes would help the US government achieve economies of scale, driving down costs and improving overall program affordability for the JJV.Published on August 31, 2026